Solar Photovoltaic Systems For High Power Pumping: a Use Case

Abstract

Solar water pumping combines solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies, hydraulic engineering, and high-efficiency technology to provide water management techniques and optimise irrigated farming. Within the context of the SolaQua project, a solar photovoltaic system design for water pumping was developed and implemented in Montes Velhos Pumping Station, located in Aljustrel, Portugal. This pumping station has 2.813 MW of total installed pumping power and a maximum flow rate of 3.08 m3/s. The designed PV system has 320 kWp installed on 1-axis North-South horizontal sun-trackers in a hybridised configuration with the electricity grid. This work aims to analyse the real operation data from that hydro-agricultural system from 2019 to May 2022. It is intended to analyse data regarding the electrical conversion efficiency of the pumping station, to calculate the annual performance ratio (PR) and other equally relevant variables for the pumping station and solar photovoltaic plants, such as self-consumption rates and annual savings. The designed system allowed the cost reduction of the pressurised pumped water and increased the share of renewable energy (RE), presenting a cost-effective alternative to the previous energy sources, diesel generators or electric grid for water pumping.